 The Star Spangled Banner
by Francis Scott Key
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O say, can you see, by
the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming;
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O say, does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
On that shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, now conceals, now discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam--
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream;
'Tis the Star-Spangled Banner; O long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
And where are the foes who so vauntingly
swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave;
And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
O thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war desolation;
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, for our cause it is just,
And this be our motto, "In God is our trust";
And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
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NOTES AND QUESTIONS
Biographical and Historical Note
Francis Scott Key
(1780-1843), a
native of Maryland, was a lawyer and poet. His patriotic
poem, "The
Star-Spangled Banner," which has become a national
song, made him
famous.
The incidents referred to in this poem occurred during
the War of
1812. In August, 1814, a strong force of British entered
Washington
and burned the Capitol, the White House, and many other
public
buildings. On September 13, the British admiral moved
his fleet into
position to attack Fort McHenry, near Baltimore. The
bombardment of
the fort lasted all night, but the fort was so bravely
defended that
the flag was still floating over it when morning came.
Just before the bombardment began, Francis Scott Key
was sent to the
admiral's frigate to arrange for an exchange of prisoners,
and was
told to wait until the bombardment was over. All night
he watched
the fort, and by the first rays of morning light he saw
he Stars
and Stripes still waving. Then, in his joy and pride,
he wrote the
stirring words of the song which is now known and loved
by all
Americans--"The Star-Spangled Banner."
Discussion
- What lines in the poem are explained by the historical
note above?
- The poem expresses the love and reverence
felt by
patriots when the flag is endangered by the attacks
of armed men in
war. What is said on page 84 about the danger to
our country in a
time of peace? From what people? Can you do anything
to prevent this
danger?
- Where was the reflection of the flag seen?
- What land is the "heav'n-rescued land"?
- What does the poet
mean when he speaks of
the "Power that hath made and preserved us a
nation," ?
- Find the words that must be our country's
motto.
- Do you
think this national song cheered the American soldiers
in the recent
World War?
- Find the meaning of:
dawn; gleaming; host; discloses; beam; triumph.
- Pronounce: haughty; vauntingly; pollution; hireling;
desolation.
Phrases for Study
proudly we hailed, fitfully blows, gallantly streaming,
catches the
gleam, Star-Spangled, full glory reflected, mists of
the deep, havoc
of war, dread silence reposes, foul footsteps' pollution. |
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